7of66A downed telephone pole off of Elliott Road after the Camp Fire tore through the town of Paradise, California, on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

8of66An incinerated vehicle is seen abadoned in the middle of Pearson Road after the Camp Fire ravaged the town of Paradise, California, on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

9of66Evacuee Suzanne Kaksonen nuzzles her cockatoo Buddy after sleeping in a tent a week after fleeing Paradise where the Camp Fire destroyed her home in Chico, California, on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.She stayed in a tent near the parking lot at Walmart along with many others as it acted as a makeshift evacuation site.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

10of66Sheriff's deputies yell to drivers to evacuate the area off of Pentz Road during the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

19of66Evacuees Gary Vail embraces wife Janice Vail as they sit in their car after sleeping there and after escaping their home from the Camp Fire at a makeshift evacuation site at Walmart in Chico, California, on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

20of66Evacuee Ron Irick sits in a friends car after sleeping there with his newly rescued dog Jojo after escaping his home in Magalia from the Camp Fire at a makeshift evacuation site at Walmart in Chico, California, on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

31of66A half melted statue of Jesus is seen at Troy Miller's property after the Camp Fire tore through the area on Concow Road in Concow, California, on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

35of66Troy Miller who survived the Camp Fire in what he called a "miraculous act of God" recounts his experience of making it through the fire on Concow Road in Concow, California, on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

36of66Greg Woodcox poses for a portrait with his dogs, Romey and Jules, after recounting his harrowing escape from Edgewood Lane from the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. while standing near his Jeep watching the fire from Chico Airport in Chico, Calif. Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

37of66Members of the San Francisco Fire Department gather together to check out an area map in Paradise, Calif. Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018 before surveying areas where Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise, Calif.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

39of66Alameda County Sheriff's Dept. Sgt. Howard Baron looks in a burned vehicle while searching for fire victims in the Rocky Lane Mobile Home Park in aftermath of Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. on Monday, November 12, 2018.Photo: Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

40of66A water meter is seen melted outside of a home that once stood on Billie Road after the Camp Fire devastated the entire town of Paradise, Calif. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

41of66Animal volunteer evacuator Tamara Houston, left, comforts Cathy Fallon outside Fallon's home Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. Fallon survived the Camp Fire while bunkering down in her home on Edgewood Lane after the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise, Calif.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

42of66A horse is seen badly burned with chunks of its mane missing after being left behind when the Camp Fire ripped through Paradise, Calif. Maple Leaf Lane Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. A group of local volunteers soon came to rescue it and seven others.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

43of66Brad Weldon checks on his mother, Norma Weldon, 90, as they stay inside their home after the Camp Fire devastated the entire town of Paradise, Calif. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Weldon stayed in his home with his 90-year-old mother, Norma Weldon, and roommate, Mic McCrary, as the fire overtook their entire neighborhood while leaving his home untouched.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

47of66Brad Weldon carries water dropped off by passerbys back to his home, through his neighborhood that was destroyed after the Camp Fire devastated the entire town of Paradise, Calif. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Weldon stayed in his home with his 90-year-old mother, Norma Weldon, and roommate, Mic McCrary, as the fire overtook their entire neighborhood while leaving his home untouched.Photo: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

54of66Evacuee Jonathan Taylor stands on the road to take photos of the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. His house and family business are in Paradise and he is concerned they will be gone when he goes back home.Photo: Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

UPDATE: Fairview Valley Fire Inc. tells SFGATE that "the kitty is fine and (is) being well taken care of by a friend of the owner."

ORIGINAL STORY:

A firefighter surveying debris in Paradise discovered an unlikely companion near the wreckage: an exceptionally friendly, very fluffy cat.

Ryan Coleman with the Fairview Valley Fire Inc. encountered the gray cat and not long after, she appeared to not want to leave his side. Coleman snapped a few photos and took a video of the feline perched on his shoulders while he walked around.

A video of the affectionate cat sitting on Coleman's shoulders has gone viral on Facebook and has been viewed almost 1.6 million times. The whole post — which includes a few photos of the animal – has been shared more than 32,000 times.

A Bay Area native, Alyssa Pereira grew up in Concord and graduated from San Francisco State University. She completed her masters at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in Performance Studies with concentrations on music, pop culture, and social media. She now lives in San Francisco.

She got her start in writing while working in-house at SPIN Magazine in New York, and has since contributed to publications as varied as PAPER, Time Out, Consequence of Sound, 7x7, Radio.com, The Bay Bridged and the Latin American Music Journal. She has presented academic papers at Indiana University and the Université de Strasbourg in France on topics related to the intersection of music and politics.

She comes to SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle from CBS San Francisco, where she wrote about pop culture, music, beer, and local news.